Applicator for cosmetic products

ABSTRACT

The applicator for cosmetic products, or lipstick, is a single ply card with an embossed pattern that retains a sample of lipstick. The pattern shears lipstick from a tube onto the applicator. Also, the pattern assists in placing the cosmetic upon the applicator. In use, a woman selects a lipstick and moves the applicator, with the raised field down, across the lipstick source. The lipstick collects between the embossing of the raised field. A woman folds the applicator, moves it to her mouth, and transfers the sample to her lips. Following use, a woman refolds the applicator and encloses the raised field and sample residue.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non provisional patent application claims priority to the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60/598,013, which was filed on Aug. 2, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This applicator for cosmetic products relates to sampling devices and more specifically to an improved card for applying lipstick. A unique aspect of the present applicator is a raised field that shears and collects a sample of a cosmetic.

People have adorned themselves with perfumes, colognes, powders, mascaras, and other cosmetics for centuries. Samples of a cosmetic encourage more sales to discriminating customers. The counter, where the customer may purchase, remains the most effective place to promote cosmetics. Often, retailers and suppliers of cosmetics provide free samples to entice women. However, women approach some cosmetic products skeptically, like lipstick. Women only buy lipstick after sampling it to judge its desirability. Women also know of the health risks in sampling a lipstick from a common sampler. Multiple uses of a cosmetic sampler invite customer complaints. Sampling a lipstick from a common tube by more than one person has become socially and medically frowned upon. Many women insist upon sampling from an unopened tube of lipstick or sample on their hand to avoid medical problems.

To overcome the health risks in cosmetic sampling, the cosmetic industry has made miniature versions of tubes and other cosmetic dispensers. The miniature versions remain subject to contamination at the retail counter. Further, cosmetic suppliers still incur the cost of producing and distributing the miniature samples for each of the color or product line variations. In addition, cosmetic suppliers and retailers have tried cotton swabs that dab from a common cosmetic source, sample sticks, and test strips. These alternatives when used commercially caused messes, inconvenienced customers, and proved ineffective.

Beyond test strips, tubes, and pencils, the cosmetic industry seeks an inexpensive applicator for applying a cosmetic sample to skin in a single stroke. Presently, cosmetics such as lipstick have individual applicators that indirectly place lipstick upon the lips of a woman. When applied, the lipstick sample should have the same texture, feel, and characteristics regardless of the applicator. Because of the goal for similarity between a sample and the lipstick for sale, applicators usually are miniature tubes or brushes despite other possibilities.

The present art overcomes the limitations of the prior art. That is, in the art of the present invention, a single use applicator for cosmetic products, receives lipstick from a common bulk container but allows each woman to sample the lipstick individually.

The difficulty in providing a removable sampler is shown by the operation of a typical product sample at a cosmetics counter, or department store. The prior art communicates the shade and texture of a particular lipstick. However, most cosmetic suppliers produce about 150 shades of lipstick, making individual counter display and sampling impractical and expensive. Cosmetic suppliers have invested heavily in sampling lipstick tubes and two-ply applicators in use at counters around the world. In addition, lipsticks have a variety of formulae differing in shelf life and compatibility. Lipstick formulae require testing for sample stability during shipping and handling to a retail store. During testing, some samples may render a formula incompatible and deter marketing of a formula. The logistics and expense of testing pose obstacles to cosmetic vendors, raising the cost and time involved in a sampling program. The two ply construction of the prior art, the compatibility and stability testing, shelf space requirements, and packaging make existing applicators more expensive to use in a sampling program.

Embossing in prior art patents, serving as stilting, protects a cosmetic material, or lipstick, between the base ply and the top cover ply. The present invention merely serves as an aid to shear lipstick from a tube. The present invention allows the use of one common card by a woman for all the shades she seeks to sample. The present invention reduces the need for numerous pre-printed shade cards. As the woman samples the lipstick immediately after applying it to the present invention, stability and compatibility concerns of the lipstick do not arise.

The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art. The applicator for cosmetic products has a single ply for ease of manufacturing and alternatively, multiple plies. At a display counter, the present invention is easier to use and has less shipping, manufacturing, and storage costs. Combined with lipstick and other sampling components presently at cosmetics' counters, the applicator for cosmetic products readily integrates into existing sampling programs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The applicator for cosmetic products is a single ply card with an embossed pattern that retains a sample of lipstick. The pattern forms a friction field that shears lipstick when applied directly from a tube onto the applicator. Also, the pattern assists in visually targeting the deposit of a cosmetic upon the applicator.

At a counter, a woman surveys the samples of lipsticks and selects a few of her choosing. The woman takes the present invention with the raised field down, and moves the applicator across the lipstick source. The raised field contacts the lipstick and lipstick collects between the embossing of the raised field. After selecting a sample, a woman folds the applicator away from her, moves the applicator to her mouth, and transfers the sample of lipstick to her lips. Following use, a woman folds the applicator towards her and encloses the raised field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the applicator for cosmetic products constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the partially folded applicator of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the partially folded applicator having an alternate pattern in the raised area; and,

FIG. 4 describes an end view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention while in flat form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present art overcomes the prior art limitations by providing an applicator for cosmetic products that allows multiple consecutive samples to be placed upon a single applicator. Turning to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the applicator 1 for cosmetic products has a single ply 2 of material generally rectangular in shape. The ply 2 has scoring with a center fold line 4 and a mechanically embossed lip contour pattern 3. Upon the longitudinal axis, the applicator 1 has a centered fold 4 that generally divides the present invention into halves. As a means to secure the applicator 1 when closed, the card 2 has one or more notches 6 upon one or more edges. A die cuts the notches 6 to interlock when one half folds upon the other.

Generally centered, an embossed pattern 3 rises from the ply 2. The pattern 3 has the appearance of a pair of lips in a smooth field. In the preferred embodiment, the pattern 3 has a plurality of raised dots in a grid shaped to mimic lips. The dots occupy approximately 25% of the surface area of the ply 2. In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the pattern 3 has a series of parallel lines at a diagonal to the longitudinal axis. The pattern 3 rises from the ply 2 somewhat less than three thicknesses of the ply 2, approximately 3 mils in height.

Many methods can form the raised area 3 such as mechanical embossing or printing. A mechanical emboss uses a roller or flat tool with a positive image of the pattern 3. The card 2 passes under a roller or flat embossing tool which impresses the pattern 3 upon the material of the card 2. Printing forms a raised area 3 by its own methods, special inks, and deposition. In general, printing places a pattern 3 of greater height than the card 2 upon the surface of the card 2. Printing includes the methods of silkscreen, offset, rotogravure, flexography, and deposition. In particular, flexography uses conventional inks, offset inks, flexo inks, ultraviolet cured inks, and thermographic heat set inks. The inks adhere to the surface of the card 2 and the lipstick collects between portions of the ink. Deposition places material upon the card 2 in a pattern 3. Deposition involves the methods of thermoforming, vacuum forming, casting, heat treatment, electrostatic treatment, spraying, extruding, adhesives, and cohesives.

As shown in FIG. 2, a woman utilizes the applicator 1 to transfer a sample of cosmetics, or lipstick, to her lips for viewing and shopping. A woman folds the ply 2 along the fold line 4 with the halves folding away from the woman. Upon the halves, the embossed pattern 3 is ready to transfer a cosmetic once in contact with lips.

A salesperson places cosmetic, or lipstick, upon the embossed pattern 3.

The salesperson may either drag the ply 2 across a lipstick tube or drag a lipstick tube across the ply 2. The raised pattern 3 retains lipstick between the dots generally at no more depth than the height of a dot, approximately three mils. With the lipstick upon the ply 2, a woman applies the sample to her lips for possible purchase. After use, a woman folds the card 2 toward her which encases the raised area 3. The woman then interlocks the notches 6 to secure the applicator 1 in a closed configuration. The applicator 1 can then be carried by the woman with less risk of the sample leaking from the applicator 1.

Turning to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the present invention has two or more subplies 5. The first sub-ply 5 a forms the base of the applicator 1. The first sub-ply 5 a extends for the complete width and length of the card 2. The first sub-ply 5 a folds longitudinally along the line 4. Upon both sides of the fold line 4, the applicator 1 has two second sub-plies 5 b. The second sub-plies 5 b have less width than half of the card 2 and less length than the card 2. The second sub-plies 5 b provide the raised field 3 as manufactured by the methods previously described in FIG. 1. The second sub-plies 5 b are generally symmetrically arranged about the fold line 4.

Another version of this applicator may be made of material that does not feature a raised or embossed area, as previously described, but may be made of material or exhibits a coating on a material that renders the applicator receptive to the cosmetic sample, and at the same time be relatively impervious to the cosmetic sample so that it does not absorb into or through the applicator before usage. The applicator will still fold over on a pre-creased, printed or perforated line, so that it may function as the original applicator as described herein. Another version may include either a raised or embossed area, or a non raised applicator, with an overlay cover material that is removed prior to usage, to maintain a hygienic deposit area for the cosmetic sampler, when applied.

From the aforementioned description, an applicator for cosmetic products has been described. The applicator for cosmetic products is uniquely capable of consecutive individual sampling of lipstick from bulk containers. The applicator for cosmetic products and its various components may be manufactured from many materials, including but not limited to singly or in combination, paper, polymers, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, Teslin, Saran, open cell foam, closed cell foam, ferrous and non-ferrous metal foils and their alloys, and composites. 

1. An applicator for transferring a cosmetic from a source to a consumer comprising: a card, having a raised area and a fold line upon the longitudinal axis of said card; whereby said card is moved across the source with said raised area towards the source and said raised area collects the cosmetic.
 2. The applicator of claim 1 wherein said raised area has the shape of a pair of lips and said cosmetic is lipstick.
 3. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising: said card having one or more laminated sub-plies.
 4. The applicator of claim 1 wherein said raised area is formed by mechanical embossing or printing.
 5. The applicator of claim 4 wherein printing includes: silkscreen, offset, rotogravure, flexography, or deposition.
 6. The applicator of claim 5 wherein flexography includes: conventional inks, offset inks, flexo inks, ultraviolet cured inks, or thermographic heat set inks.
 7. The applicator of claim 5 wherein deposition includes: thermoforming, vacuum forming, casting, heat treatment, electrostatic treatment, spraying, extruding, adhesives, or cohesives.
 8. The applicator of claim 4 further comprising: said card having one or more notches upon the perimeter; whereby a consumer closes said card by folding along said fold line and placing said raised area on the interior of said card when folded. 